l'ombre dans l'eau

This is the only perfume I own from Diptyque, was featured in one of my recent Instagrams and one of my favourite summer perfumes. It seems fitting, since L'Ombre Dans L'Eau translates into "Shadow in the Water". I fell in love with this sort of rose-y, fruit-y green scent when I burned my Baies candle; I've never been so incredibly in love with a scent in my life, that candle was phenomenal. 

This was supposedly created in 1983 by Serge Kalouguine, a famous French perfumer. It's the equivalent of the Baies candle, which is why I made the dive to purchase it. It smells very green, slightly fruity, with a hint of rose in the back. When you first put it on, it's almost overwhelming with the strength of the scent, but with a day of wear, the green leafy-ness disappears and it becomes muskier. It pretty much makes you feel like you're in some sort of beautiful field of flowers and freshly cut grass - I love it.

ole henriksen pure truth youth activating oil

This face oil was in my staples for a while, and I repurchased a full size and a mini travel size after finishing that first bottle that made me love facial oils. It's marketed for all skin types with special anti-aging properties, and contains "active vitamins C-A and omega 3.6.9". I have no idea what that means, but I really did like this oil while I used it and writing this little review is really making me contemplate whether I should hop to Sephora and get another bottle. 

It's orange and smells very citrus-y, and if you wipe it off it has a bit of a yellow tint but nothing significantly noticeable on the skin. It doesn't feel super greasy and sinks into skin quickly. I would put the oil on after cleansing my face, and top it off with my regular Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing Lotion. It was a great combination while I was using it, this oil made my skin so moisturized, and gave an extra boost of radiance which I noticed I lost when I ran out and it left my regular rotation.

All in all, it's a good facial oil, I noticed it made a difference to my skin. Nothing life-changing, but it was nice to have in my skincare routine. 10/10 would repurchase, but I'm currently trying to use up a lot of other products floating around in my collection.

rituals ayurveda

Rituals Cosmetics was first brought to my attention by FleurDeForce, when she gave rave reviews about one of the body creams in particular. When the Rituals store opened up in Soho, I dropped by and was immediately mesmerized by the heavenly smells and surprisingly decent pricing. Since then, I've been a die-hard Rituals fan, and have repurchased multiple items, multiple times. The Ayurveda collection is definitely my favourite, it's heavy on the rose scent, and smells slightly sweet due to the sweet almond oil most of the products in the line tend to contain.

Shanti Chakra - This body oil is a "special mix of natural, soothing oils" which are "nourishing and balancing", I mean who knows if that is true but it is phenomenal. It has Sweet Almond Oil and Indian Rose in it and smells like heaven. The Sweet Almond Oil is supposed to restore your skin's moisture balance, and the Indian Rose is meant to have a relaxing effect on the body and mind. I love slathering myself in this body oil before I go to bed, it's not something I use during the day because it does tend to linger and leave a slippy-oily feeling on the skin. But when you put it on before bed, you wake up feeling silky smooth.

Yogi Flow - The Rituals foaming shower gels are super cool. They have a "unique shower foam technology" where it pops out of the container like a gel but then magically turns foamy once it comes into contact with water - fascinating. Like the Shanti Chakra body oil, it has Sweet Almond Oil and Indian Rose as its key ingredients, and again, smells phenomenal. This shower gel doesn't strip your skin, nor does it linger; it leaves you feeling nice and clean, and smelling like a garden of roses.

Himalaya Wisdom - Another part of the Ayurveda collection from Rituals, this is a salt scrub which contains "holy" basil (? I don't know please don't ask me) and fresh mint. It's meant to be a "detox scrub", but I have no idea if it does any of that. All I know is that it smells super refreshing, and leaves a nice minty cooling feeling that lingers once you've gotten out of the shower - great for the summer heat.

ren glycol lactic radiance renewal

The Ren Glycol Lactic Radiance Renewal Mask is probably one of my favourites. It's little blurb says that it is "an instant complexion-perfecting mask that brightens and renews skintone and texture, minimises pores, diminishes hyper-pigmentation, and reduces the appearance of fine lines in as little as 10 minutes". It kind of does that but maybe not as thoroughly as advertised. It's formulated from four different acids which chemically exfoliate and "resurface the skin: glycolic acid from pineapples, lactic acid from passion fruit, citric acid from lemons, and tartaric acid from grapes -- as a result, it smells super fruity and almost edible.

Anyway, in terms of application, it's gloopy looking and has almost a honey-like textures but a tad grittier. Once you slather it on, you look like you're covered in some weird looking (not to sound unappetizing but anyway) slug-gloop. It tingles a little here and there depending on how sensitive your skin is. The blurb does say that it's not suitable for sensitive skin types and more recommended for congested and mature skin, but when my skin is feeling more sensitive it just stings a little more when you put it on. 

All in all, it's a great mask if your skin likes acid exfoliants -- mine does. It smooths things out and leaves you super glowy, and feeling like you have a fresh layer of skin.

chemical exfoliants

I used to use the St Ives Fresh Skin Apricot Scrub endlessly, but my skin wasn't great and I eventually learnt that physical exfoliants aren't actually that good for the delicate skin on your face (plus, the little beads are awful for the environment). So on the hunt for something a little less abrasive, I came across the Ren Glycolactic Radiance Renewal Mask. Unfortunately for my face, I left my bottle in New York whilst travelling and coming home this summer, so I had to find some new options to fill in the blank since I couldn't find a way to get the Ren face mask in Hong Kong. On my mission to obtain the Alpha-H Liquid Gold (which I've heard the blogosphere rave about endlessly), I picked up a couple of other things that have made it into my routine.

1. Mario Badescu Skincare, Glycolic Acid Toner

I've never been one for toners - the first time I ever used one (some Neutrogena thing that came in a blue bottle back in the day), my entire face went red, blotchy and a little itchy and I declared 'toner - never again'. After realising that my face seems to love things with glycolic acids in them, I figured I'd give this a try, and I love it. Since I've started using this, I haven't had a bad breakout (knock on wood), and my skin feels a lot less clogged up.

2. balance Me, Radiance Face Mask

After using this a couple of times when I was feeling a bit 'bleugh I don't know what else to do, I guess I'll do a face mask', I find that this doesn't particularly make your skin "radiant" but it just hydrates the skin. It's a thick white cream with little particles in it which I guess "polish and smoothes" your face, but compared to chemical exfoliants, I really don't think it does much. It's nice that it's supposedly 98% natural origin, and it's just a simple mask that hydrates and isn't too harsh on your skin.

3. Alpha H, Liquid Gold

Now this is la crème de la crème; this is a concentrated glycolic acid thingmabob that I use on nights that I feel like my skin needs a bit of a pick-me-up (a.k.a. after a long night out and I've maybe consumed one or two drinks). It stings a little when you put it on and you can leave this just on your skin overnight for a more intense treatment, or put on a face cream over it - what I normally do. It seems to have made a huge difference to my skin since I've added it into my regime, so it'll be sticking around for a while. 

summer base

Recently, I've been switching up the my base; instead of covering my face in big patches of concealer in an attempt to even things out, I've decided to use some products that even things out and dab concealer where it's really needed.



1. Indeed Labs, Nanoblur

This has seriously been my summer saviour. It's supposed to leave your skin "camera ready" and fill in fine lines and whatnot, but I have yet to obtain these fine lines (fingers crossed I don't get them for a next decade or so).  So, I use this more for its glorious mattifying powers and primer-esque qualities. When you put this on, it gets quite tacky but I think it's the tackiness that keeps makeup from sliding off in the 34˚C summer heat in Hong Kong. Plus, it keeps my skin from getting too shiny during the day and hasn't broken me out yet - win.

2. Garnier Ultra-Lift Transformer

I used this daily throughout the month that I spent in the Turks and Caicos Islands - when it comes out of the tube, it's a white cream with these teeny little beads that I guess break open when you rub it onto your face and the stuff in the mini beads give you the slightest bit of healthy tint. It's supposedly an anti-age skin corrector, and it has a broad spectrum SPF20 sunscreen in it. It's super easy to throw on to make your skin look a little more alive without being too heavy for summer weather.

3. thisworks, perfect look skin miracle

This is awesome, it's an "instant tinted skin perfector that hydrates and brightens" and was the first of these 3 'skin brightening / perfector-esque' things that I purchased. It looks kind of orange-y when it comes out of the tube but when you blend it in, it somehow gives you this extra glow that is inexplicable. It is the ultimate product to use when you're going for that no-makeup makeup look.

4. Becca Bronzing Skin Perfector
As the name states, this is the bronziest of the bunch. When dabbed and blended out gently, it gives your face the loveliest bronzy sheen without the shine that the other two give - it's somehow a bit mattifying when it goes on. It's got a bit of sparkle but nothing too overwhelming and you don't look like a great big disco ball when you put it over your entire face (which I have done, evidently). This is probably the one out of the three that I lean towards most often for this summer since it seems to be the most shine-controlling.

5. NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer in Medium 2, Ginger 

I have been in love with this concealer since the minute I decided to purchase it after hearing all the hype about it. If you haven't tried this already, it's the most glorious concealer that will ever have the pleasure of gracing your face - it blends out perfectly and covers what needs to be covered without looking cakey and heavy.

jo malone

So my Jo Malone story began sometime over the summer, when I thought I'd reward myself with a little gift to myself. Over the last few months, my little collection has slowly grown and as it's pretty much the only brand of perfume I use now, I thought I'd share it with the world.

Dark Amber & Ginger Lily Cologne Intense

I actually found the Cologne Intense collection more appealing to my nose when deciding to invest in a big 100ml bottle of the stuff and this is the most glorious scent ever. It's the perfect mix of fresh yet heavy enough to be sophisticated. When picking a bottle to purchase, I was stuck between a lot of the Cologne Intenses (I believe Oud & Bergamot and Velvet Rose & Oud were my other two close contenders) but ended up going with my first preference which was this one -- my friend Carol, who was with me at the time picked up a bottle of this too. Anyway, I'm not very good at describing scents so definitely give this a whiff if you're in the store.

I found these lovely minis by way of a random gift as my sister happened to not want them. Amber & Lavender is very strong on the lavender side, which is a bit of a love-hate thing with me (not my favourite but not awful enough for me to not use). I absolutely love Blackberry & Bay and I have a 30ml size (not pictured here); it's super light and green-smelling but still with a hint of fruitiness. The last one -- Peony & Blush Suede, is way more floral than anything I own and somehow is the longest lasting and the strongest smelling. Not my favourite but I do carry this around in my purse on nights out and I need something to freshen up. These minis are so cute, and fabulous for stashing in my handbag.

Last but not least -- Vetyver and Nutmeg & Ginger which were actually my first two purchases. Going into Jo Malone for the first time, I remember expecting to walk away with a big bottle of Wild Fig & Cassis. However, when I actually gave everything a whiff and started mixing scents, I realised that I wanted something a little different to validate my pricey gift from self to self. Vetyver is light, earthy and green, which acts as a perfect base for the more spicy Nutmeg & Ginger. Though these two were the polar opposite of what I was expecting to leave with, I do not regret the spontaneous change in mind because I adore this combination.

Long story short, go stop by a Jo Malone counter if you're into perfume because their stuff is divine.

night-out eyes

The holidays are slowly winding down and I thought I'd share my go-to night-out eye look. More often than not this is what I would go for; a few variations here and there, but the mascara, taupe-y purples, that MAC Paint Pot, and shimmer (of some sort) remained consistent. 

1. MAC Pro Longwear Paint Pot in Frozen Violet

I already did a bit of a review about this when I first got it here, and what I said pretty much remains the same; it's a bit too dark to be part of my daytime look but serves as a perfect base for dark evening looks. I still love this taupey-purple colour, and it's been my go-to look in winter.

2. Bare Minerals Eyecolour in Nude Beach

This has been part of my make-up bag for quite a while now, and was mentioned briefly here. Considering how much I use this shade, it's still got a surprising amount of product left in the pot, but then again, a little goes a long way. It's a very shimmery glitterbug shade that has a pink twinge but still silvery enough to blend with almost any eyeshadow. It also glides on beautifully and gives any look that extra bit of sparkly oomph.

3. Nars Eyeshadow Duo in Brousse

This is one of my most well-loved Nars Eyeshadow Duos -- the taupe shade acts as a lovely eyeliner for daytime looks, and both tend to be slapped on haphazardly for give my evening looks a bit more depth. Both shades are fairly pigmented but easily buildable and I find myself reaching for this duo quite often when preparing myself for an evening out.

4. Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil in Zero

I've been a big fan of these eyeliners for a while now, I started off with Bourbon and branched out into a fair few shades. You can never go wrong with a plain black eyeliner and this is one of my favourites for the waterline and smudging along the lash line to give my look a bit more depth.

5. Physicians Formula Shimmer Strips Gel Creamliner for Brown Eyes

When I feel like adding even more drama to the look, I sometimes try to add a cat-eye with an angled brush. More often than not it fails and I end up smudging it out to create a more smoky look, but once in a while it'll work out. This is a 'gel creamliner' and I don't really know what that means but I've had it for a while and it hasn't dried out yet so yay I guess. 

6. Shiseido Eyelash Curler

I've tried the Shu Uemura eyelash curlers before but never bothered investing in one since this seems to do the job perfectly well. The squishy bit needs to be replaced soon, I think this is going to be the second time I've replaced mine but the curlers seem to be a good shape and work quite well on my eyes.

7. Maybelline Volum'Express the HyperCurl

If you've been reading my blog you'll know that this is a much loved mascara of mine (it's been mentioned here, here, and I carry it around in my purse as can be seen here). I'm not going to say any more about this other than this is some good stuff.

winter moisture

Two of my current favourite body moisturisers, the Rituals Shanti Chakra Indian Rose & Sweet Almond Oil Caring Body Oil Spray and the Aesop Geranium Leaf Body Balm. Both smell pretty awesome, the Rituals one smells absolutely divine, whilst giving my body a non-greasy boost of moisture.

lanolips

I've heard a lot about Lanolips and along with the Glamglow Supermud Clearing Treatment, this was a belated Christmas gift that was much appreciated. The Banana Balm and the Lemon-flavoured Lanolips had been much praised amongst bloggers, but for some unbeknownst reason, I always thought that they were lipglosses (I honestly have absolutely no idea why or how this happened). As someone who's not keen on lipglosses in general, I never thought much about their recommendations.

So, when these lovely products fell into my possession, I was more than excited to hear the words 'multipurpose balm' and 'for very dry hands and nails'. I love love love anything multipurpose, Aquaphor and the Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Cream are amongst my favourites; in my books, all things should have more than one use.

Much to my excitement, the 101 Ointment, is almost as good, if not better, than my much loved Aquaphor, briefly mentioned here. There's not much of a scent to it and it's quite thick and difficult to squeeze out of the tube, but when slathered onto your lips, it sinks in so quickly and you can feel it plumping everything up. This has some powerful moisturising skills.

Similar to the 101 Ointment, the Rose Balm Intense for Very Dry Hands & Nails sinks in like no other. I don't know what it is about my hands, but I inevitably have dry cuticles that flake and lift and just look awful. Over the years I've struggled to find products that really moisturise my perpetually dry cuticles, the Lush Lemony Flutter Cuticle Butter is one of the few, but this tube of stuff is absolutely incredible. It has a musky yet light rose scent to it and is a thick cream with a slight pink tinge that takes a while to massage in but instantly makes your hands feel moisturised -- this is definitely a keeper and something to test if your cuticles suffer.

These two products have made me so excited for my adventures with the Lanolips department, I think I'm going to try some of their tinted balms or their LemonAid one sometime soon. 

winter base

1. Vichy Aera Mineral BB

This BB Cream was something I bought when BB creams were a huge fad, but back then I wasn't big a big user of foundations or bases, and would simply dab concealer over my face where it was needed. I thought that Vichy was a good skincare brand so their BB cream couldn't be bad and decided to give it a go. When swatching at my local drugstore, I chose the darker shade which I still find to be quite light on me these days and I only use this when at my ultimate palest. I've been using this a lot during the winter months, both in New York and in Hong Kong as I feel like this is 'better' for your skin than putting an actual foundation on, but who knows if this is actually any better. Though it goes on a tad grey for my liking, it magically evens out my skin tone and somehow gives a bit of a glow. Bonus - this BB cream is paraben free, hypoallergenic, tested on sensitive skin and fragrance free and has SPF 20. 

2. Tarte Maracuja Creaseless Concealer in Medium

This concealer is full coverage to the maximum -- it's very thick and was almost difficult to squeeze out of the tube at first, but when dabbed over blemished with your ring finger, it blends seamlessly into the skin. It's heavily pigmented so even the thinnest layer will give you enough coverage, and is tacky enough that it's not sticky, but long-wearing. It's also meant to be creaseless and waterproof -- the waterproof part I find fairly believable as this does make it through a sweaty 45 minute long spin class, but it does tend to gather in my annoying undereye creases (even when set with powder) but that's the only place on my face it does that.

3. Collection 2000 Illuminating Touch in 3 Glow

This is a YSL Touch Éclat-esque type of thing with the clicky brush and the brightening concealer. I don't find this product particularly revolutionary or life-changing, but it helps at concealing my endless eyebags and is a nice item to keep in my purse for when makeup slips off. 

4. Laura Mercier Invisible Loose Setting Powder in Universal

I've already raved about this powder here so I won't delve into too much detail. This powder has been a long-time favourite in my collection, I've been through about three of these pots now, I pretty much use it every day, so it won't be going away anytime soon.

5. Tarte Amazonian Clay 12-hour Blush in Exposed

 I mentioned this lovely blush here when I was favouring it during spring weather, but in all honesty, I've been favouring this blush ever since I purchased it.  The Tarte blushes are known for their long-wearing quality, and safe to say, it meets its reputation. This shade in particular, is the perfect everyday shade to give your face that extra bit of colour without being overpowering, and matches perfectly with a dark night-out eye.

6. MAC Pro Longwear Bronzing Powder in Sun Dipped

Like the prior two listed, this bronzer was also spoken about briefly here. I find that this is probably my favourite bronzer for the winter months -- it's not too dark to make your face look like a separate entity from your body, and it's also got a hint of shimmer in it to give you that extra glow-y look during the paler months. Even better - the packaging is absolutely fantastic, but unfortunately it is limited edition.

glamglow supermud clearing treatment

This face mask is much praised in the blogosphere but I could never quite persuade myself to spend US$69 on it. So when I received this as a belated Christmas gift, I was over the moon since I'd heard wondrous things about it, mostly from the lovely Fleur -- whose recommendations I always consider, as I think she and I gravitate towards similar things.

It comes in a beautifully packaged box which greets you with a 'Hello Sexy' when you first open it. Who doesn't love great packaging, though I do have to say there is an excessive amount of cardboard that really isn't necessary from an environmental standpoint, especially considering how tiny the actual pot of product is. Anyway, the tub itself (albeit quite small) is relatively sturdy and is surprisingly weighty when you first remove it from its delightful packaging.

This product is supposed to clear your skin, and help solve your (I'm listing this from the packaging now) pores, problem skin, blemishes, pimples, breakouts, zits, spots, black & white heads, razor bumps, in-grown hair -- long story short, basically anything remotely wrong with your skin. It can be used as both a full face-mask and spot treatment, and I like this idea a lot as sometimes you just don't want to deal with putting on an entire face mask then having to wash it off, etc. It contains a bunch of chemicals that are supposed to help get your skin clear, and I'm not even going to go into detail about this because I'm not actually sure I really understand it. 

The product itself is the average dark grey colour of your typical mud mask, but unlike other mud masks I've tried, it smells kind of herbal-y (probably due to the Eucalyptus stuff in it). Anyway, I applied a thin layer to my entire face and left it to dry for quite a while, you can leave it on for up to 20 minutes supposedly. While it was drying, I could really see the gunk that it was pulling out of my skin and since the pollution in Hong Kong has really been messing with my skin, this mask has actually cleared it up significantly. When I washed it off, my skin was so much smoother and just...nicer. I see why people rave about this -- it really clears up most problems but doesn't dry your face out into a desert, this is some good stuff. I'm not sure I would repurchase, however, considering how expensive it is for such a tiny pot but you really don't need that much when doing a full face mask. But it is definitely worth a try if you ever do feel like splurging on a face mask. 

everyday essentials

As the paranoid, mildly OCD person that I am, I constantly like to be prepared for all situations. Hence, I tend to carry around a range of things with me in my bag and here's a sneaky peek.

1. Acuvue contact lenses,  Blink eye drops - Because I am blind, sometimes my contacts get dry and sometimes they fall out of my eyes for no apparent reason (don't ask).

2. EOS hand cream - I am an obsessive with any creams / lotions / moisturisers; at any given time, there are an average of three on my desk both at home and at work accordingly, and sometimes two in my bag but only when it's a big bag. 

3. Purell hand sanitizer in Ocean Breeze - I live in a dirty city. Self-explanatory and this one smells nice.

4. Laura Mercier Smooth Focus Pressed Setting Powder, Shine Control in Matte Translucent - What a long-winded name but this does the job when I find myself looking shiny. (and a little Shu Uemura brush to go with it).

5. Trish McEvoy Beauty Emergency Card for Eyes - This is the perfect on-the-go eyeshadow palette, it's super thin, literally credit-card sized as the name states, and contains fairly basic shades that you can slap on easily and still look good.

6. Maybelline Volum'Express the Hypercurl - My favourite mascara ever, how could I not carry a tube in my bag? I also carry a mini pink compact eyelash curler for the days when my eyelashes get a bit droopy. You never know.

7.  Aquaphor - This does so many things and is the ultimate lip saviour.

8. Maybelline Pure Mineral Concealer - Again, one of my favourite concealers, and easy to slap on.

9. Bobbi Brown Touch Up Stick in Warm Beige - Another concealer because you never know when a spot will pop up!

10. Rimmel Scandaleyes Shadow Stick in Bad Girl Bronze - This is for when I want to give my look a teeny bit more depth.

11. Cherry Chapstick - Because I have dry lips and also like to obsessively moisturise them.

12. Trish McEvoy Lipstick in Mulberry - This is a sheer berry tint with a lovely hint of moisture.

13. Rimmel Moisture Renew lipstick in Rose Blush - This is one of my favourite 'your lips but better' lipsticks.

14. Rimmel Scandaleyes Kohl Kajal in Sparkling Black - You never know where the day might lead and this is great for those last minute spontaneous night out decisions.

15. Altoids - Do I need to explain this?

16. Hair clip and hair ties - Ditto.

Saying that I'm a light traveller is the understatement of the year -- this is only the beauty-related part of my purse.

MAC palette

Top to bottom L-R: Sable, All That Glitters, Espresso, Carbon

This palette made a brief preview in this post and is looking a little worse for wear now after having been on a few trips with me (somehow Sable got smashed but thankfully, I managed to fix it which is why it looks weird in the photo). Having had this little quad for a while, I thought I would share a few of my insights on these shades.

1. All That Glitters

A cult classic amongst MAC fans, this shade is not as glittery as the name states; it's more of a shimmery champagne with a pink undertone. An excellent everyday or wash over the lids shade, this is definitely one of my favourite neutrals.

2. Sable

This is a lovely taupe-y brown that leans slightly reddish and is great for adding a bit of depth when smudged in the outer corners of the eyes. If you've ever used Mulch, this is much more purple-y and leans towards taupe while Mulch is more of a classic shimmery brown.

3. Espresso

A matte brown is always a good basic to have in the average palette, but as I tend to gravitate towards shimmery shadows, this doesn't get used as much as it could or should be.

4. Carbon

As I don't actually own a matte black, I slipped this shade in when constructing my palette and it really doesn't get used very often. Sometimes I'll get a sharp angled liner brush and use this as eyeliner along my top lashline, but that rarely happens these days since I've been leaning to shimmery brown-y neutral shades which are less harsh than black.

oils

As the dry weather rolls in, it's important to protect all surfaces that come into contact with cold wind, so here are some of my oil saviours.

1. Boots Botanics Facial Oil

I've already talked about this here, and I pretty much stand by what I said before. I haven't really been using this on my face but more on my cuticles and it seems to be doing the trick as we have started to settle into the autumn weather.

2. Caudalie Divine Oil

This, as the name states, smells absolutely divine. It smells so good I wish there was a perfume with this scent -- it is amazing. Though I've only used it on my skin so far, it's also a great multi-use oil, you can use it on your body, face and hair and I'm fairly confident it would work well on anything. This absorbs really easily and doesn't leave any sort of a greasy film which the Boots one tends to do sometimes. Love this stuff.

3. Bio-Oil

This was my first oil purchase ever and though it's not my favourite oil now that I've tried others, it still does a decent job and is a decent price. I have a few dry patches on my various limbs that I've been using some of this stuff on, and they seem to be less dry but they're still there. I tend to use this on my cuticles and feet before bed, to really hydrate everything and again, it's not my favourite but works well enough.

4. Organix Renewing Moroccan Argan Penetrating Oil

I've already done an initial rave about this stuff here, and after having used this for quite a while now, I really do think this stuff has saved my split ends. My hair is nowhere near as dry and split-end-y as it used to be even though I have been heat styling a fair bit, and I'm fairly certain this is what's been saving it.

5. Ole Henriksen Pure Truth Youth Activating Oil

This was one of those mini free samples from Sephora, I can't quite remember whether I redeemed it with points or whether it was completely free, but either way the packaging is surprisingly good. This oil is supposed to be anti-ageing for all skin types and I really have to say I like it so far. I slap this on at night when I feel like my skin is looking a bit 'meh' and when I wake up the next morning, I do feel a little more radiant than I normally would be. I do have to mention though, that this smells very strongly of citronella, so if you don't like that sort of scent you should probably pass on this or at least give it a whiff in the store before purchasing it.

tresemmé thermal creations heat tamer leave-in spray

When using heat on your hair, it's always good to arm your strands with some sort of protectant and this leave-in spray from TRESemmé has been my saving my straggly ends from getting completely frazzled.

First of all, I just need to express how incredible this smells; if you've ever used the L'Oréal detanger spray for kids (used to be so in love with it) that comes in a green bottle and looks like this, this heat protectant smells exactly the same. I'm not going to go on a long rant about how much I adore this because, though it smells great, it's not something I use all the time as I generally tend to let my hair air-dry. It seems to work fairly well at keeping my hair from getting completely fried, and it smells good so it seems to be okay so far. However, I do have to mention that this can get a little bit sticky sometimes when I go a little crazy spraying it everywhere, but the stickiness disappears as soon as you heat style your hair. All in all, it smells great and seems to do the job well enough.

summer to autumn: eyes

1. MAC Paint Pot in Indianwood

I've already confessed my love for this product here, but it really is the best. Nine times out of ten this is my eye shadow base of choice and it has never, ever, ever disappointed me.

2. Urban Decay NAKED Palette

When I first got this palette, I really didn't use it much as I would lean towards my army of NARS eye shadows most of the time, but over the last month or so, I've found myself reaching for this almost every day. My favourite shade of the moment has been Half-Baked, a shimmery gold, swept over the entire lid (on top of Indianwood). When I'm going for a more matte look , I'll dab Buck into the outer corner and edges, but when I feel like being extra shimmery, I'll use Smog instead. Transitioning into night adventures, I'll add an extra bit of Darkhorse along my upper and lower lash lines to intensify everything a bit. This palette is awesome: 12 buttery soft, extremely pigmented, every day neutral shades that take you from day to night.

3. Rimmel Scandaleyes Shadow Stick in Bad Girl Bronze

This is probably one of my favourite products of the moment: a fantastic bronze-y brown cream formula in the shape of a stick. It lasts excellently on my oily eyelids and the fact that it is a cream stick makes it easy to apply and smudge along the lash line as sort of an eyeliner replacement. I will be adding various shades to my collection in the near future.

4. Maybelline Volum'Express the Hypercurl

Like Indianwood, this product has been part of my make up routine for years; I have already professed my undying love for it here and here, and in the last month, it's made it back into my daily routine.

5. BrowMousse by Tweezerman

Nothing particularly amazing, this has been my brow groomer for the last few years (yes I still haven't gotten through this tube and it's been a very long time). It seems to work well enough at keeping my messy eyebrows in place for most of the day but it does sometimes leave a white cast on my dark hair.

summer to autumn: base

The weather in NYC has been sort of bipolar -- it's gotten cold and warm again a few times over the last month, but it's finally starting to really feel like autumn so I thought I share some of my transition-friendly choices.

1. Laura Mercier Oil Free Tinted Moisturiser in Sand

I've previously done a more in-depth review about why I like it so much in this post and briefly mentioned it here, so I won't go into too much detail again, but this is currently my favourite choice of base as it gives my face a bit of a glow, and helps lock in moisture as the drier weather is starts to settle in. Sometimes when I want a heavier coverage, I'll whip out the Real Techniques Buffing Brush but 99% of the time I'll slap this on with my fingers.

2. Maybelline Pure Mineral Concealer in 02

One of my favourite concealers ever, mentioned here and here, so I won't go into a lot of detail. It really just is my go-to favourite -- it feels light on the skin, has a decent lasting power and covers what needs to be covered. 

3. Collection Illuminating Touch Brightening Concealer in 3 Glow

Pretty much every single makeup brand has one of these clicky-illuminating-concealer pen things and as Collection recently branched out to Hong Kong, I thought I'd pick another one of these up. I think this shade is a little bit too dark for me but as I've still got a bit of a summer tan, it seems to work quite well under my eyes. Nothing revolutionary, it's just another useful item to help conceal my dark eyebags.

4. Collection Shimmer Shades in 1 Way to Glow

I really do have to share how much I love this little quad. It has 4 shimmery shades that I absolutely adore; the champagney-white is perfect for highlighting, the rosy and peachy colours are great for perking my cheeks up a little, and the bronzier shade is awesome for adding that extra glowy tan to the high points of your face. All in all, it pretty much has all my ideal face shades, the powder is buttery soft and the colour payoff is excellent.

5. MAC Pro Longwear Bronzing Powder in Sun Dipped

This bronzer was part of a limited sailor-themed collection which launched last year I think? Anyway, the packaging is beautiful, it has a navy and white striped pattern on the lid and delightfully glossy instead of the typical satin black you get with MAC. I find this shade to give me the perfect bronzy look without making me look like an orange and as I've hit pan, I am rationing out my uses carefully.

boots botanics facial oil

Certain drugstores in Hong Kong (such as Mannings in IFC) have started to carry some of Boots products and it was on a bit of a whim that I decided to purchase this Boots Botanics Facial Oil. Having mentioned how much I like the Tarte Pure Maracuja Oil and realising how amazing oils are for your skin, I spotted this amongst the shelves and figured it could help out my bizarrely dry skin.

This facial oil is a bit of a mix of a bunch of oils including rosehip, sweet almond, bergamot and lemon peel to name a few, and as part of Boots Botanics' collection, it is 100% organic and was also developed with Kew Royal Botanic Gardens. It has that quintessential spa smell -- the sort of calming, clean, herbal-y scent. Unlike the Tarte Pure Maracuja Oil it isn't quite a dry oil, it can feel a tad oily when you go a little crazy with it, but not greasy like you've covered your face in actual olive or cooking oil. It's also said to be scientifically proven that it locks in moisture for 8 hours, but really who can prove that? Anyway, I've been using this as an added step before my various moisturizers or occasionally even mixing a drop into my moisturizer, and it seems to be giving my skin a lovely boost of hydration without actually making my skin oily, it's just extremely nourishing.

Although this is said to be a facial oil, I've also been rubbing a bit on my perpetually dry cuticles, (I have a bit of an issue with flaky cuticles even though I moisturize my hands and feet like a crazy person -- I swear you will never find me without some sort of hand cream), and this has literally become my miracle cure to stop annoying hangnails from happening and to keep everything pleasantly moisturized. All in all, it's a good facial oil, not the most revolutionary or life-changing -- it does the job, but personally, I think it makes a better cuticle oil.

mac frozen violet

Because I am so, so in love the MAC Paint Pots, I ventured to the MAC counter in hopes of finding another colour to add to my collection. This shade, Frozen Violet, struck me immediately as it reminded me a lot of the Chanel Illusion d'Ombre in Illusoire which was to be my potential next cream shadow purchase because it is such a stunningly beautiful colour. However, having tried Emerveillé, I decided that the Chanel formula wasn't quite for me, compared to the MAC Paint Pots, it's not as great in terms of longevity. Don't get me wrong, I still love that squishy, mousse like formula and I will definitely continue using Emerveillé, I just figured this would be a good and less pricey alternative which would also last longer on my infinitely oily eyelids.

I absolutely fell in love with this shade when I first swatched it. It's sort of a taupe-y, eggplant-y purple with a fair amount of sparkle and glitter. Upon first swipe, it can be quite sheer, but it is easily buildable and, like all other cream shadows, serves as a perfect base for other powder eyeshadows. Although I do find this a bit dark to use during the daytime (I tried it once and I'm pretty sure I looked a little crazy whilst walking around running errands, but whatever), it is amazing for the evening. I've recently been using this a lot with one of my favourite NARS duos in Brousse, along with smudgy black gel eyeliner and of course mascara to create that dark smoky look that is sweat and humidity proof for those summer nights out. Depending on what powder eyeshadow you put on top, this cream shadow can be made to look more taupe or purple and the sparkles really manage to show through. This Paint Pot will probably be more well-loved in the winter months where I tend to darken up my daily eye makeup, but for now, it will been a staple in my evening makeup routine.